Improvement in desiccators for fertilizers



2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. P. LISSAGARAY.

pEsIccAToRs FOR FERTILIZERS. No.176,474. Patented April 25, 1876.

MAJ/J,

NJETERS. PNOTUJJPHOGRAFHER. WASHINGION, DC

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron HENRI P. LISSAGARAY, OF PANTIN, NEAR PARIS,FRANGE.

IMPROV EMENTIN DESICCATORS FOR FERTILIZERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,474, dated April25, 1876; application filed February 5, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI PROSPER LIs- SAGARAY, of Pantin, near Paris,France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theManufacture of Manures from Blood, of which the following is aspecification My invention has for its object the utilization of bloodfrom slaughter-houses by converting it into a fertilizer; and consistsin an improved apparatus for efl'ecting the desiccation of the coagulum.

The blood is gathered at the slaughterhouses and poured into barrelsortanks of such size that they may be readily loaded upon wagons forremoval to the converting establishment, and such blood is mixed withsulphide of soda, phenic acid, acetic acid, and a small quantity ofsulphuric acid,-to prevent putrefaction and decomposition during thetime the tanks remain at the slaughter-houses, or during the transit ofthe blood from the latter to the converting establishment, where theblood is poured into suitable tanks for coagulation, by admitting steamunder high pressure into the tanks in such manner that said steam shallnot only cause the blood to enter into ebullition, but also effect amechanical action upon such blood by stirring it (barbottage) constantlyor keeping it in "a state of constant agitation.

The barrels or tanks'into which the blood is poured at theslaughter-houses may serve the purpose of coagulating-tanks, byproviding them with suitable inlet and outlet steampipes, to which thepipe from the generator may be readily coupled, and thus avoid the laborand time otherwise expended in transferring the blood from thesereceptacles to special coagulating-tanks.

I prefer, however, to employ special tanks, and provide them with astirrer or stirrers actuated or set in operation by a suitable motor toaugment the mechanical action of the steam, by constantly stirring theblood under treatment, which serves to hasten the coagulation. Ifdesired, the barrels, however, may be provided with such stirrer orstirrers, their shafts projecting from one end sufficiently to mount apulley thereon, or other means for connecting such shaft with a motor.This stirring of the blood by mechanical means is. however, notessential, as the action of the steam 'under high pressure will besufficient to effect a perfect coagulation. From twenty to twenty-sixpounds of steam, under a pressure of five atmospheres, are required forevery two hundred pounds of blood; and the following will indicate theperfect coagulation: First, the coagulum assumes a characteristicgreenish-yellow color, which, however, it loses very rapidly again ifallowed to cool. Secondly, the fluid separated therefrom is very limpid,and. should at once be drained off, as it will dissolve a portion of thecoagulum and become red again. It is essential that this separation ofthe serum-water should be effected before it has time to redissolve anyportion of the coagulum, and is effected in the following manner: Thewater and coagulum, as soon as it is ascertained by the limpidity of theformer and the color of the latter that the coagulation is perfect, arepumped or otherwise transferred upon a filter made of wire-clothstretched above an inclined table covered with sheet-iron or othersuitable sheet metal, corrugated in such amanner as to form channelstransversely across the\ table, which is provided at its front edge witha gutter terminating in a spout connected with a suitable eduction-pipeto carry oi the filtered serum-water. The coagulum should be spread asevenly as possible over the filter, and allowed to remain until no moreserumwater filters through, the only water remaining being that held bycapillary attraction, which is removed by transferring the coagulum intostout canvas bags of suitable dimensions, and placing the same whenfilled into a hydraulic or other powerful press, taking care to separatethe bags from each other by an intervening plate of sheet metal, Thecoagulum being subjected to powerful pressure, almost all the water isextracted, retaining a minimum quantity of moisture only. When withdrawnfrom the press, the coagulum is in the form of cakes, ready for marketor use.

The coagulum and water should be removed from the coagulating-vesselwhen still at a temperature of from 70 to 75 centigrade.

The size of filter I have found most advantageous has a surface of aboutsixteen square yards, and is adapted to receive about three thousandpounds of the coagulum.

Instead of the coaguluin being subjected to pressure, it may be dried inany suitable apparatus, though I prefer to employ the apparatusespecially designed for the desiccation of the coagulum which I will nowdescribe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through line as .r of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 is a similar section through line y y of Fig. 1.

A is the masonry or casing, constructed and arranged in any suitablemanner, provided with a fire-grate, B, ash-pit (J, and chimney D. Thechimney is separated from the furnace by a flue. d, and a dalnber, d,which lat ter is opened when the fire is first started, and closed againas soon as the fire is well ignited. The heated gases and products ofcombustion pass from the furnace into the flue E, which is also providedwith an aperture, 6, and a suitable door or damper thereto, to admitatmospheric air for regulating the temperature in the apparatus.

From the flue E the heated gases pass up through the connecting-pipe andbranch-pipe f into the desiccating-wheel H, which is formed orconstructed upon a sleeve, Ii, which latter, together with the wheel, isfirmly keyed to the shaft G, which has its bearings J in uprights K,carried by the frame or masonry work of the apparatus. This shaftcarries a fast and loose pulley, and is driven from any suitable motor.

The desiccating wheel is constructed as follows: The sides or ends h areof sheet-iron or other suitable sheet metal, while its periph- ,ery ismade of fine wire-cloth. The wheel is subdivided into four or morecompartments by wire-cloth partitions running radially from the sleeve hto the periphery, which latter isprovided with a series of doors, k onefor each compartment h, for charging and discharging the latter. Thecylinder is provided with an inwardly-proje'ctin g cone, 1, made ofwirecloth, formed centrally in one of its sides, as shown by Figs. 2 and3, said cone being mounted upon the sleeve h at its contracted end,while its mouth is connected to the hot-air branch pipe f in such amanner as to permit it and the wheel H to rotate freely with its shaft,which latter also passes through said pipe f, the escape of hot airbeing prevented by suitable stuffing-boxes i. This conical recess Iserves the purpose of admitting the hot air from the pipe f into all thecompartments of the desiccating -Wheel, which, by its rotation and theconsequent shaking up of the coagulum, allows such heat to permeate thelatter and effect the desired desiccation.

The branch pipe f is provided with suitable thermostats k k, the one, k,filled with lead, and the one, k, filled with zinc. By means of thesethermostats the required desiccating heat is determined and readilyascertained by the melting of the lead, while the zinc should not melt,and consequently the heat may be regulated by means of thesethermostats, which at all times indicate whether sufficient, too much,or not enough heat is supplied by the cooling or melting of the leadwhen the heat is sufficient or insuifieient, or by the melting of thezinc when the heat is too strong; in other words, the most appropriatedegree of heat required is that which will cause lead to melt, or 630Fahrenheit.

L is a casing surrounding the desiccatingwheel; it is made of sheet-ironor other suitable sheet metal, and is rigidly affixed to the frame ormasonry of the apparatus, and is provided with a charging-door, l, and adischarging-door, I; it is connected on one side to the branch pipe f,and thus prevents any escape of heat at the connecting-point of the cone1 of the desiccating-wheel with such branch pipe, and forms an outerheat-chamber for the accumulation of the heated gases and air suppliedby the furnace to the desiccating-wheel H.

M is a dumping-hole between the two flues,

and N is a tramway, upon which cars are run immediately under the casingL, into which cars the dried coagulum is dumped through the dischargedoor l of the casing and those, h of the wheel.

0 is an eduction, or two eduction-pipes 0 may be employed, as shown inthe drawings, connected to the casing to carry 011 the heated andsaturated air and gases. They are provided with a thermometer, 0,indicating at all times the temperature of the saturated air and gases,and thus afl'ord a further guide for regulating the heat in theapparatus. The gases escape through the pipes 0 into the flue o, andfrom thence into the chimney D. Since the damper d is closed to divertall the heat and conduct it through the wheel, there would not be draftenough through the circuitous route; these heated gases and products ofcombustion have to travel to keep up the required combustion, and tosupply this necessary draft I locate a fan or fans in the chimney D,driven from any suitable motor, which fans, by their suction, supply thenecessary draft.

I have described an apparatus having a special firing-place or furnaceto supply the necessary heat; but it will be obvious that by a slightmodification in the construction of the flues and pipes, superheatedsteam may be readily conducted from a generator through thedesiccating-whecl, and any skilled mechanic will readily understand therequired alterations, and need therefore not be dwelt upon at length.When superheated steam is employed the fans are dispensed with, and thesuction is then efl'ected by aspirators, into which jets of superheatedsteam are inof heat, and suitable charging-doors, and the inclosingcasin g made of sheet metal and forming a heating-chamber, incombination with a furnace or other source of heat-supply, substantiallyas described, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the heat-supply pipe and branch pipe f, wheelH, casing L, eduction pipes O, flue '0', and chimney D, of a suctiondevice for exhausting the heated and saturated gases from the apparatus,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The desiccating-wheel H, having its sides solid and its periphery ofwire-cloth, and subdivided into a series of compartments provided withsuitable doors, in combination with the cone I, made of wire-cloth,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of the wheel H and cone I, constructed, substantiallyas described, with the short sleeve h and shaft G, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

5. The combination of the wheel H, cone I, and short sleeve h, and shaftG, with the casing L and pipes f 0, provided with suitableheat-indicators, the air-inlet c, and a furnace or other source ofheat-supply, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In witness that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this18th day of August, 1875.

HENRI PROSPER LISSAGARAY.

Witnesses:

ROBT. M. HOOPER, FRED. W. WEE.

